Dutch company BrainCreators announced the port inspector SEAGULL at CES. The solution uses AI to observe incoming and outgoing ship traffic. BrainCreators has now developed several inspectors that apply AI for pattern recognition. For instance, we previously spoke to the company about INSPECH, which can be used to inspect roads to detect damages. BrainCreators’ AI is applied to images and knows what is ‘normal’. Should abnormalities be observed, an inspector from BrainCreators can raise the alarm.
What does SEAGULL do?
SEAGULL works in a similar way by automatically recognising ship types, measuring the speed of passing ships and recording entry and exit times. A dashboard provides operators with an overview of activities, detailing vessel types, dates, times, directions and speeds.
When rules are violated, SEAGULL alerts operators. This inspection method allows operators to take immediate action. Think early intervention in case of suspicious activities. Partly because of this, the inspector has to ensure maritime safety.
The port inspector also has a heat map at his disposal. With the map, the aim is to realise a better visual insight into which part of the water is sailed the most. The feature allows for trends and analysis so that they can, for example, take measures to detect abnormal boating movements.
Furthermore, SEAGULL automatically keeps a logbook. This keeps track of all developments, for evaluating situations.
Why is it useful?
According to BrainCreators CEO Jasper Wognum, SEAGULL’s inspection is something ports are looking for. The company claims, based on research, that security officers miss 95 per cent of all visible activity after looking at screens for 20 minutes. Moreover, not all ports are monitored 24 hours a day. It opens the door for unwanted activities in ports.
The port of Scheveningen sees the usefulness of SEAGULL. It cooperated in the development of the port inspector and will use the registration system from January 2023. The Hague municipality wanted to gain more insight into the shipping traffic in Scheveningen harbour. Previously, only commercial shipping was registered.
